The Bird of Forgetfulness
by Rowna Seria
Summary: Thor wakes up after a hard night of drinking without any recollection about how he ended with his room in chaos and cuddling his brother. Sif is mad at him, Loki is very hungover, and all Thor knows is he needs to find out what really happened.
1. Chapter 1

A/N**: **This was originally meant to be a one-shot, but I decided to divide it up into bite-size pieces. It would have made quite a long one-shot O_o Since this is still a work-in-progress, I would love to have some constructive crit. Like: am I being to vague? Some encouragement would be much appreciated too ;)**  
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**The Bird of Forgetfulness**

"Over beer the bird of forgetfulness broods, And steals the minds of men." –Norse Proverb (this is straight from Odin's mouth, guys.)

**Chapter 1**

The first sensation Thor could really distinguish upon waking was his all encompassing headache. Without opening his eyes, he let out a long groan, hoping he would simply fall back asleep until the pain subsided. Unfortunately, wakefulness tugged at him until he slid one eye open, sluggishly followed by the second. Thankfully the room was only dimly lit; thick red curtains shielded it from the sunlight. With his vision came the realization that one side of him was quite cold, while the other was just the opposite. When he looked down he saw it was because one side was total bare with only a sheet tangled round his legs, while his left side was warmed by body heat of another. He was relieved to recognize his dark-headed bedfellow was only Loki and he let his head fall back on the pillow. The next instant his head snapped back up, the relief quickly banished as the reality crept in.

What in the Nine Worlds was his brother doing in bed with him? Thor began to wrack his aching brain for an answer. As he looked at Loki's sleeping form, head resting on the larger man's shoulder and curled snugly against his side, he wondered how the trickster had manage to twist up a blanket so much that it barely covered him; Thor had a huge bed, and blankets to match! The blonde consoled himself with the thought that at least his brother still had on a shirt, so things couldn't have been that strange, could they? Not that it altered the fact that had Thor woke up hungover and cuddling his brother. That was the only way to describe it, he decided when Loki moaned and Thor found himself tightening his arm around the smaller man's slender shoulders. He hadn't even known he was holding on until that moment, though he decided to blame it on the fact that his arm was half asleep from being trapped under Loki's head.

It was a rather unusual outcome for a serious night of merry-making, mused the Thor. It wasn't uncommon for him to end up with a bedfellow, but they were usually less prickly tempered and more on the curvy side. Surprisingly, at least to his own mind, Thor was not particularly upset by the switch. It was odd, strange, and worrisome, but it had felt as if Loki was drifting away for the past few years, and he relished the opportunity to keep him anchored by his side, if only superficially.

He was, however, upset by the fact that he _could not_ remember most of last night—especially what had lead to this particular morning position. The night before they had been celebrating a recent triumph in battle, and Sif had particularly demonstrated her prowess as a warrior. He'd begun the evening talking mostly with her, if he remembered correctly. Thor tried to track what had happened as the night went on. They'd all played a drinking game early on before splitting off into smaller groups and pairs. He'd been chatting with Sif and slamming back the cups of mead heartily, and it was around there things became fuzzy. At some point they'd all gathered together again, and Thor remembered laughing almost constantly and feeling really good, but the exact events after that escaped him. He was just contemplating asking Loki what happened when, as if on cue, his brother suddenly sat up. But before Thor could even form the question his brother darted off and stumbled towards the bathroom. From where he lay Thor could hear the distinct sounds of heaving, and his stomach gave a sympathetic roll, but he managed to hold it in.

While his brother continued to empty the contents of his stomach in the bathroom, Thor slowly sat up and began gazing around in search of his pants. Loki had managed to deposit most of his things, including boots, near the side of the bed he chose. Thor, however, had strewn his clothing all about the room. Taking frequent stops to rest his head, the golden haired man managed to find his shirt—draped over the back of a chair, and his pants—lost beneath the abandoned feather comforter. He was beginning to feel very worried about what may have happened the night before, and nothing was triggering a memory at all!

"Loki!" Thor called out, the sounds of vomiting had stopped and he thought he might get a reply, "Do you know where my other boot is?"

"You kicked it under the bed," said Loki in a rather pitiful treble.

Sure enough, that was exactly where it was. After wrestling the pair on, Thor went to the door of the bathroom to check on his brother. Loki was curled nearly in the fetal position next to the toilet, his head resting against the porcelain rim of the adjacent bathtub. He was also shivering and looked as if moments before he had been sweating profusely. Thor went back into the bedroom, swiped the comforter off the floor and draped it over his brother. Loki half-heartedly pulled the blanket closer around his shoulders.

"So…" said Thor, trailing off, "last night..."

Loki gave him a look that may have been a glare, but the effect was completely ruined by how pathetic he appeared. "No. Do not tell me you forgot."

Thor gave his brother a half grin and pressed on, "Perhaps you could refresh my memory?"

With a long groan Loki turned his forehead back to the porcelain and muttered, "Please, norns, not right now."

"You look like frost giant feces," said Thor.

The younger man had dark circles under his eyes, and his skin had gone a shade paler than normal making him nearly as white as the bathtub he was leaning on, "Do you want to me to get you anything?"

"Thor, _please_," moaned Loki, sinking down to the floor with the comforter in tow.

"Because the healers make a very good—"

"No…NO! … I will tell you, just… let me think," Loki had moved back into a sitting position, this time with his head in his hands, "And about the drink, I would not be able keep it down anyway."

Thor was starting to feel very sorry for his brother, and just a bit guilty that it was probably his fault he was in this state.

"Last night," said Loki, "you were very drunk."

"Yes I know," said Thor impatiently.

"And you spent most of the first part of the night talking with Sif."

"I remember that part, move on."

"Brother," said Loki, the exasperation clear in his voice, "do you want to know what happened of not?"

Loki gave Thor the _look_ and the blonde immediately cut off what he was going to say, clamping his open mouth shut with a snap. If he knew nothing else about his brother, Thor was certain Loki would jump at any excuse to withhold information.

After letting his head loll and carelessly leaning his elbow on the toilet bowl, Loki continued, "Well, you were not talking with Sif so much as flirting… at least she was flirting. Then there were a few more rounds of mead and you two became… _friendlier_. I did not see exactly what happened because Voldstagg insisted on demonstrating his repertoire of mixed drinks to me, but…" he trailed off, allowing Thor's mind to fill in the blank.

"What happened, Loki," demanded Thor, his voice dropping in volume threateningly; he did not at all like where this conversation was going.

"It seems you made a move she found… offensive" as Loki spoke the timbre of his voice darkened and Thor found himself mirroring his brother's frown.

"How offensive."

Loki's only response was a most pathetic and sympathetic look.

"That bad?"

"That bad."

Thor groaned and dropped his head in his hand, things were worse than he imagined—and he could imagine quite a few ways he may have offended Sif, none of them easily mended. However, "That sill does not explain… this morning," he said, turning a frown towards Loki.

His younger brother shifted lackadaisically and continued in his lighter tone, "You soon realized your mistake, but it was too late: Sif had already left," Loki squirmed again, interrupting his tale with something like a stifled burp, "You were inconsolable, so I took you back to your rooms. We may have had a bit more to drink."

"Yes, but what _happened_?" Thor demanded, brow wrinkled with deep concern.

The reply he received was a groan as Loki leaned both elbows on the toilet and cradled his head in his hands. Thor's brother was looking decidedly green and the blanket had carelessly slipped from his shoulders.

"Brother, are you sure you do not need anything?"

"Yes, leave me be," was the snappish reply, "and if I were you, I—" Loki interrupted his statement with an ominous swallow, "would be more concerned about how Sif feels about last night."

What Loki said had the blonde seriously worried, and now he wanted to find the sword maiden immediately and ask for her forgiveness. However, there was one thing he had to do before he left on his self-appointed task. A quick search about the room yielded a goblet—the first he spied had been smashed to pieces against the wall, and after a quick rinse Thor filled it with water and set it beside his brother. As soon as the younger man noticed the goblet, he looked up with a glare, "Thor, I am only going to vomi—"

"It is just to rinse your mouth out after, at least, so the taste will not linger."

Loki's expression shifted to one of honest confusion, as if he was not entirely sure how to show gratitude. Thor smiled.

But just as quickly as the moment came, it was gone and Loki was retching once more into the toilet. Thor decided to leave him in peace for the time being, both for his brother's comfort and his own stomach's well being.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Another chapter! Also, so I should probably note everything I know comes from the movie, my imagination, and whatever hints have been dropped my other's fics and art. I know nothing about the comics :(

**Chapter 2**

Thor finally found Sif seated by herself at the end of their usual table in the dining hall. She was eating a hearty breakfast with a determined focus usually reserved for the battlefield. Sliding into the seat next to her and ignoring the unquiet in his stomach caused by the smell of the food, Thor said, "Sif, about last night…"

She quickly cut him off with a curt: "Can you not see that I am busy right now?"

Thor foraged ahead, heedless of the warning signs, as usual, "I just wanted to talk—"

"Oh, so now the _mighty _Thor has _time_."

The way she said "mighty" felt like an insult and made Thor squirm in his seat, but it also made him very irritated. There was no reason for her to be so surly, "I am trying to apologize."

"You had better be: there is much to apologize for," said Sif, still not looking at him while she held her head high and ate a sliver of egg.

Thor took a deep breath and stored away his superficial indignation, this was one of his good friends and he needed to mend things, "Look, I am truly sorry. What I did last night was inexcusable."

He kept careful watch of Sif's facial expressions. It looked as if his words were reaching her, that she was willing to listen and not brush them off in anger, "I did not mean to insult you. I apologize if something I said or some gesture I made overstepped the lines of decency, if I did something like grope—"

"_Something_ you _did_? Thor, do you even remember what happened?" Sif finally looked at him, but Thor was not sure that was a good thing as her expression a combination of exasperation, irritation and anger.

"Well, not exactly…" the blonde trailed off, the look on his friend's face changing to one of confusion and some other emotion Thor could not name.

"Thor, I am more upset about what you _did not_ do," said Sif, sitting up straight and letting her fork clatter noisily onto her plate.

Now Thor was confused, "But Loki said, or implied… or…"

_"Loki_ told you what happened, and you _believed_ him?"

"Well, I… yes… why not? For a start—"

Before he could finish, Sif let out a single, disgusted laugh. She covered the side of her face with the hand closest to Thor, leaned that elbow on the table and made a great show of beginning to eat again. It was obviously meant to be a dismissal.

That did not stop Thor, "Then tell me what happened, I want to—"

"What happened was obviously not important enough for you to remember!" she turned back to face him, looking truly furious this time.

"Sif, I want to mend this—"

"Please stop—"

"But I need to know—"

"No—"

"—what happened—"

"THOR!" Sif shouted loud enough for it to echo about the dinning hall, "right now, I _do not_ care. Leave me to my breakfast in peace!"

They had drawn the attention of everyone gathered in the Hall, and Sif once more applied herself with focused determination to eating her breakfast, pointedly ignoring Thor. The smell of the meat, eggs and sickly sweet honey was beginning to make his stomach churn uncomfortably, so Thor stood and uncharacteristically beat a hasty retreat. His head pounded, he felt sick, tired, and incredibly confused.

Loki had lied. Thor was not sure if he was mad at his brother for the deception, though he was not particularly surprised, mad at himself for believing it, or mad at Sif for ridiculing his trust in his brother. Somehow the last facet hurt in an unexpected way. It was as if she had called him gullible, as if she had implied Loki was never worthy of trust.

The Warriors Three and Sif had never quite understood Loki, and part of Thor instinctually knew it: he was the only tie that bound the six of them together. Thor knew he would never have the words to explain it to them; he was not clever like that. Yes, Loki lied, but he was Thor's _brother_. While Fandral seemed the most understanding, having been a bit of a mischief maker himself before he discovered women, they all could not see Loki the same way Thor did. Usually he never noticed, it was not in his nature; but, sometimes, when they were teasing him, calling Loki "Lie Smith" or "silver-tongued" he sensed in their words and earnest disgust, while Thor only ever said such things light-heartedly, true as they were. They could not forgive Loki his little lies the way Thor could.

Just before he left the Hall, Thor saw Volstagg sitting in a secluded corner sipping a large drink with obvious relish. Veering suddenly in that direction, Thor strode over and slid into a vacant seat across from the bearded man.

"Good morning, Thor," said Volstagg, setting down his drink.

"Good morning."

"What was that back there, a little tiff?"

Thor did not want to waste time on pleasantries, so he leaned in close, arms resting on the table, and asked, "Do you know what happened last night? Or, at least, why Sif is cross with me?"

"Hmmm," hummed Volstagg, he then licked away some of the red drink that had collected on his beard and mustache before speaking, "I am forced to admit I was more focused on my drinks and dinner. I was showing Loki some of my mixed beverage creations while sampling some delectable cheeses. Remember how Frandral, you, and I were discussing how difficult it was to convince Loki to drink his fill?" Thor nodded, "I decided to see if I could over come this by introducing him to some truly divine brews and practicing upon him with a little drinking game. I was surprised he indulged me, and though I believe he eventually divined my intentions, it seemed at that point he was too flushed to let it upset him. While I we enjoyed ourselves, my back was to the part of the room where you and Sif were. I do not know exactly what happened, but Loki did get a scowl on his face and go over towards you two, though when I looked Sif was gone. I was well into my cups and determined to enjoy myself, so I do not recall all the details, but I do remember being a little sorry I became Loki so intoxicated, and you took him away to rest up."

As Volstagg spoke some of the details returned to Thor. He remembered that the chat with Sif had somehow turned into a chat with Loki, and that his brother was very drunk. He also remembered Fandral saying something about them taking care of the "little trickster," but Thor decided he wanted to do that himself. It was not much, but it was a start.

"Thank you Volstagg," said Thor sincerely.

The blonde finally took a close look at Volstagg's beverage. It appeared to be a thick, red juice, though it was a little bit chalky and there were vegetables protruding from the top.

"Friend, what is that," said Thor, indicating the drink.

"It is my own personal hangover-cure; would you like to try some? You look like it would be of some assistance."

Volstagg presented the drink but as soon as it was under Thor's nose and he got a wiff of it, he pulled back, "No, but thank you, Volstagg. I have other things to attend to."

With that Thor rose quickly and gave his friend a grave nod in thanks.

"If you should ever change your mind, I would be happy to mix you one," said Volstagg with a smile.

Thor simply smiled back and made a hasty exit, his stomach reminding him why starting with the dining hall had been a poor choice. Though Volstagg had not been of much direct help, Thor now knew at least part of Loki's story was true. He was also pleased that some of Volstagg's statement had sparked his own memory. Perhaps Hogun or Fandral would be able to shed some more light on the situation.

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><p>AN: Somehow I can write elevated language for Volstagg, but have so far failed at it for all the other characters :P Sorry if his segment is weird because of it!

Also, reviews are love! (and very encouraging.)


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: So, this chapter was a bit longer in the works, but I hope it's enjoyable! All of the reviews, favorites, and watches are so amazing: Thank you!

**Chapter 3**

Thor stood in the shadow cast by a pillar with his forehead pressed against the marble, waiting for his stomach to settle and letting the cool surface sooth his aching head. Finding either Fandral or Hogun would be more difficult since there were a variety of places they could be, and that assuming they were even out of bed yet. It did not help that his hangover was making it difficult to concentrate. After letting his mind chase its self in circles for a few minutes Thor resolved to start with the healer's wing, there they could prepare him a restorative drink designed to relieve the effects of overindulgence in food a wine. The walk would take him through some of the busiest parts of the palace and he might come across one of his friends on the way there. If he did come across either one and they were going to talk a long time, he could always call a servant to fetch the drink for him.

Thor was never one to brood over his options, and as soon as he decided he stood back from the pillar and strode confidently down the corridor. He hoped no one noticed that he had swayed while standing up, or that perhaps his stride was overly confident to hide the fact his coordination had not quite returned.

He was nearly to the healer's wing when he spotted Hogun going the opposite direction dressed in practice gear.

"Hello, friend," called Thor, his usual bravado dampened by the threatening roll of his stomach.

Hogun returned his hail and they walked over to the side of the corridor, out of the main flow of traffic.

"Hogun, my memory of last night is rather foggy, and I fear I have committed some offence."

The warrior cocked his head to the side and asked, "What portions of the evening do you recall?"

Thor quickly recounted the few parts he remembered and what he had heard from Loki, Sif and Volstagg, adding: "I cannot, however, remember what I did to offend Sif or the events that followed after she left."

Hogun nodded, "I will tell you what I may. While you and Sif were talking, Fandral and I were playing a game of Tafl.* Fandral did not mind letting a few comments slip past, but I preferred to focus on the game—"

"Who was winning?" asked Thor, suddenly curious.

"That… is not relevant," said Hogun, attempting to dismiss the subject.

Thor grinned, "It was Fandral, then."

The only reply Thor received was an ice cold glare.

"I am sorry friend, please, do you have and idea what of happened?"

There was a long pause before Hogun continued speaking, "I noticed something was stirring when Fandral joked that Loki must have been very inebriated. When I looked over the three of you were having an odd little exchange," Thor gave the warrior a questioning look, and he qualified it with: "Though I cannot say exactly what the substance of it was, you were too far away. Sif left, and the five of us continued to carouse, or rather the four of you sang quite a few songs."

"Even Loki?" asked Thor, his tone rising in surprise, "I thought he despised our drinking songs."

Hogun looked up and off to the side, as if drawing the words straight from his memory, "I believe he said, and I quote, 'Drinking songs are fantastic when you're drinking.'"

It seemed so out of character and Hogun repeated the words in such a dry tone that Thor had trouble imagining Loki saying it, though he could now vaguely recall singing was a highlight of the evening. The warrior seemed reluctant to continue, and Thor suspected it was because they were coming to the heart of the story, "Friend, what happened?"

With a slow turn of his head, Hogun looked back into Thor's eyes, "When Sif returned after several songs, she was very upset. She yelled at you, which you were too drunk to notice, and stormed off. I followed later to see if she was well, I was not quite as invested in the revelries as the rest of you." —which translated to Hogun being not nearly as drunk, as he was, after all, well enough to train.

Thor's face fell as Hogun told the last part of his tale. Hesitantly he asked, "What did she say? You must tell me."

"I am afraid that would require say something Sif told me in the strictest of confidence. I would never betray her trust in me. That would be dishonorable," said Hogun in clipped, unequivocal sentences.

Thor immediately regretted his demand, and his tone of voice showed it, "Yes, of course. I would never ask you to betray her."

After a pause where Hogun silently accepted this apology, he said, "Perhaps Fandral can help you, he was there after I left. He mentioned going to the baths."

"Thank you, friend."

Hogun returned the curt nod and continued down the hall. Thor always had trouble guessing what was going on under that stoic countenance. However, he trusted his intuitive sense that Hogun withheld information more from a sense of delicacy than spite.

Before Thor tracked down his final companion, a stop at the healers' was a must. He swore his head was truly beginning to split, and that last conversation merely added to it.

As always the healers were very receptive, and Thor waited while they brewed his remedy. Content to relax back into the comfortable seat, Thor let his concerns float away to the heights of lofty-ceilinged chamber for the time being. Once he took the first grateful sip of the potion, he remembered his poor brother. Immediately he called for a similar beverage to be sent to Loki, and there was some confusion where he had to explain that they were to take the drink to _Loki_, who was in _Thor's_ chambers.

That confusion behind him and his drink finished, Thor was immensely thankful for the immediate soothing effect the beverage had on his stomach. Feeling much more able to attack the situation, he headed off to the baths to see if Fandral might have the definitive answers to his questions.

*Tafl is an ancient Germanic and Celtic board game. I was actually introduced to it by my Danish Uncle who is really into historical Viking stuff :)

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><p>AN: On a rather silly note, the first time I wached the movie the idea of Hogun/Sif randomly popped into my head. Such a random pairing is very OOC for me, usually I go for the one's that are at least vaguely textual. After watching the movie a second (and third +) time, I'm not even sure where the idea came from! So, if you want to read my fic that way, go ahead. Or just as friendship. I can't even make up my own mind about it :)

Also, reviews really do make a big difference. I'd love to hear your opinions! Thanks!


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: This chapter was seriously threatening to kick my butt! (usually I would swear, but I figured I'd keep it clean-ish for once!) But I have prevailed! (How sucessfully, I'll let you guys be the judge.)

Once again, thank you so much for all the awesome reviews, favs and watches! I had no idea this story would be so popular, you guys are awesome :)

**Chapter 4**

The Baths was a large, communal chamber with a large pool and several smaller tubs, though even those were still roomy enough for more than one person. While many Asgardians had their own bathtubs in their chambers, the large baths were the best place to be fully submersed in warm water. There were also steam rooms and massage tables, if one chose, and reservoirs of cool water to rinse off in.

The air in was humid and heavy with steam, and while it felt fantastic, reliving his headache, the thick atmosphere made it difficult to find Fandral. Thor finally spotted his friend relaxing in one of the raised tubs near the back of the bath, instead of the great pool sunk into the floor. With his arms hooked over the sides and his head thrown back, the goateed warrior was the absolute picture of relaxation. Thor grabbed a stool and sat next to his friend, immediately regretting it when water soaked through the seat of his pants.

Thor continued on, ignoring his discomfort, "Hello, friend."

Fandral lazily opened one eye and said, "A bit over dressed for the baths, are we not?"

Ignoring the quip, Thor said, "Fandral, you are my last hope, do you remember exactly what happened late last night?"

Thor told his friend what he remembered and what he heard from the others. Fandral slid closer and leaned both his elbows on the rim of the tub, "So, you want me to fill in the blanks?" he asked.

Mimicking his friend, Thor drew closer and let one arm rest on the ledge, uncaring that his sleeve became wet—it hardly made a difference after the damp seat. "Fandral," he said with a quiet earnestness, "I just want to know what I did so I can properly apologize—to Sif, and who ever else I may have offended."

Releasing a great sigh, Fandral said, "I might have to go back to the beginning to explain that," he looked of into that indefinable distance where thoughts reside and added, "Although, maybe not that far. You know about our plan to get Loki drunk, which Volstagg was implementing admirably, and that I was watching you flirt with Sif. Hogun was not on top of his game that night. "

"Was she flirting back?" asked Thor, a little surprised to hear it put so bluntly.

"I would say yes," said Fandral, "if I am any judged of such matters. Do not give me that skeptical look, I know when a woman is interested!—even if it is not in me."

Thor was truly surprised; Sif had always rebuffed any advances before, no matter how light hearted. She had always been very concerned to be seen as a warrior before all else and being respected for that. As he mulled over this new piece of information, Thor noticed Fandral was staring at him as if daring him to contradict his assessment, "No, no! I believe you, it was just unexpected."

At that Fandral smirked and said, "I know, we were all a little surprised, I think. Do you remember any of that?"

"I do remember chatting with her, but none of the specifics, or rather, none of her reactions," Thor admitted with some embarrassment.

Fandral merely nodded; "You were pretty far gone even then, after that loosing game of beer-checkers* you played with Loki."

"That's right! My plan to get him drunk did not work very well, did it?" said Thor with a grin.

Fandral grinned back, "But it did warm him up enough to fall for Volstagg's idea," the warrior's expression grew serious again, "Maybe a little too successful."

"Even if we got Loki to sing with us later?"

"Well… perhaps it was worth it for that alone! But after he and Volstagg finished, Volstagg came to watch our game and Loki went over to you two. Sometimes I think they try to get in each others way."

"Are you saying Loki and Sif do not get along?" asked Thor, genuinely confused.

"You mean you have not noticed?"said Fandral, obviously surprised; he saw from Thor's blank expression that he was going to have to spell things out plainly, "Those two have never really got along. They sort of… compete for your attention—maybe because they both knew you before the rest of us," Fandral added when he saw Thor's doubtful expression, "or know you better. It is probably all in their heads, do not let it bother you—But, if ever the three of you are left to yourselves… it is not good."

"What happened, Fandral," demanded Thor, he was getting very tired of all the talking around the subject that he had been forced to endure today.

"Do you… remember any of it? That point specifically?" asked Fandral hesitantly.

"I remember speaking with both of them, but you obviously saw a lot more than I did," said Thor, frustration seething beneath his words.

"You _were_ pretty drunk, it is very easy for details to slip by," said Fandral very quickly, "and you were out of hearing, so I cannot say what exactly was said—But" he quickly interjected before Thor could interrupt, "I do think there was a little contest for your attention. They both spoke to you and not to each other. Sif eventually said something—it looked like a declaration, before she got up and left. You agreed, I think. After that we mingled some more and the singing started. I do not think Hogun drank enough to find it quite as amusing as the rest of us."

"I noticed."

"In any case, Sif returned in the middle of a bawdy tune, called you an 'arrogant bastard,' among other more colorful names. You told her to relax and if she was about to start her monthlies which made her absolutely irate and she stormed off."

Thor smacked himself the forehead at the last part. If there was one thing he had learned about women from the time spent with Sif, it was never to ask if they were cycling: it only made them angrier, even if it was true. He must have been pretty drunk to forget that. "Do you have any idea why was she upset in the first place?"

"I think you stood her up, or something like it. She never has been good with broken promises," said Fandral, almost apologetically.

"How do you know?" demanded Thor.

"It is just a guess," said Fandral, holding his hands up in surrender and letting them slip back into the water, "based off of my own experience."

Thor let that supposition stew around in his head while Fandral continued talking, "That scene almost killed the mood, but we cracked a few jokes, you brought out another cask of mead, and we continued our revels as before. I think Hogun left soon after that. Does that answer your question?"

While before the humid air had helped his head, now that Thor's headache had waned he felt as if heavy atmosphere was making his mind sluggish and it was difficult to answer Fandral. Much of what the warrior had said matched with the vague images he could recall from that night, but he still felt the picture was incomplete.

"What happened after that?"

"Nothing much, things wound down after a time. You were so elated Loki was being so relaxed and… sociable you dragged him off in a fit of nostalgia for a 'sleep-over'… You did not make him drink more, did you?" asked Fandral with sudden concern.

"May…be?" said Thor, letting the word trail off as a question.

"How sick is he?"

"Very sick… Actually, I should probably go see how he is doing…"

"That is probably for the best," Thor was about to stand up when Fandral added something that made him pause, "I never really understood it, though."

"Understood what?"

Fandral had lain back into the bath with his eyes closed and raised his hands behind his head to form a pillow, when he heard Thor question he opened his eyes and said, hesitantly, "I should not have spoke… it is not really my place to say…"

"Fandral, please tell me, _as my friend_, what you were going to say," said Thor with sincerity.

There was only a moment of hesitation before Fandral plunged in, "I have always wondered why our company. He is so very different from the rest of us, and while I do not mind his tricks as much, a few of the others may feel differently. He must be able to sense it. I feel a little guilty about getting him so drunk… I wouldn't want to be party to forcing him into something he does not want to do… perhaps if he could choose, he would have chose something else…"

Thor sat up straight, attempting to absorb what Fandral was saying. It was true Loki was not like his friends, but was Fandral implying something more. Did his brother not want to spend time with them? Loki had never complained… but Thor had never asked. He had always assumed they would spend most of their time together, like when they were boys. However, Loki had been pulling away for some time. Was Fandral trying to say he was forcing his brother, perhaps not maliciously, but thoughtlessly, into doing things he did not enjoy?

Fandral watched the gears turning in his prince's head, and they shared a look when he came to the conclusion the warrior had been aiming for.

"Perhaps I should apologize for making Loki so sick."

"It would be wise, my friend," Fandral replied.

There was no question where Thor was headed when he stood up: he needed to speak with his brother.

*I think the more eclectic term for the game would be English draughts or just draughts (although that board would be quite big for a drinking game!) and would be more in character, but I'd have to do more explaining because a draught of beer is totally different than playing checkers with beer cups instead of playing pieces. I figured I'd just keep things simple. Hopefully you guys were able to follow that :P

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><p><strong><strong>A/N: if you find that last bit of interpretation a little unorthodox, just stick with me! Remember, this is all about perceptions and some of the other characters might see things differently ;)


	5. Chapter 5

Final chapter! (for now)

**Chapter 5**

As Thor stepped into the chaos that was his room, he began to wonder if he had really found out anything at all. However, he had other things to attend to first.

Loki was still in the bathroom, huddled in the down comforter looking miserable and exhausted.

"Still sitting by the toilet," asked Thor, trying to keep his voice light.

His only reply was a baleful glare from the cocoon of blankets that was his brother.

"Come on," was the only warning Thor gave his brother before reaching down and hauling him away.

"No, no, no," whined Loki, "I'm still throwing up."

"By now it should be only bile and you can do that in bed."

With very little effort Thor was able to hoist Loki into the bed and arrange it so that he had a mound of pillows to lean against before replacing the comforter atop him. It always surprised Thor how very light his brother was.

To complete the sick-room set up, Thor took a quick look around and placed the nearest container in Loki's hands.

The trickster raised an eyebrow, and queried, "Your helmet?"

Thor answered with a shrug and said, "It has served me well enough in the past."

The grin that stretched across Loki's face was positively wicked.

"Now, don't you throw up in there just because it is my helmet!" said Thor slightly panicked, "Just lay back," he gave a gentle push to emphasize his point.

Thor crossed his arms, what now? Something was missing. Loki was not the type of friend you slapped on the back while he threw up the next morning, and Thor was rather inexperienced with any other type of care giving. He remembered the potion he had sent, and spotted it near the door. Loki had probably chased off the servant before he could make it any farther than the threshold. He quickly snatched up the goblet and placed it on the stand beside the bed.

"Sip it," said Thor, though regretted saying it in such a commanding voice as Loki looked ready to defy him on principle.

Unfortunately, taking care of his brother's physical needs was the simple part. Did Loki know it was meant as an apology? Did Thor need to say something? What should he say?

"Brother, you really should stop thinking so hard, you are going to strain something."

Thor had never been one to hesitate in the past, and once caught out he decided to dive right in, "Loki, I am sorry about last night."

"What?" Loki's confusion was quickly mirrored by his brothers, "Why are you apologizing?"

"Why? I thought maybe, we were, well… you got very sick and Fandral… maybe you did not want to…"

"What, in your wholly inadequate and round-about way, are you trying to say?"

"That… I am sorry if my friends and I forced you to do things you did not want to, like drink too much?" even to Thor, the way he made it sound like a question at the end was entirely too pathetic.

"What have your friends been telling you?" said Loki while leaning back into the cushions and crossing his arms, "I would never do anything I did not choose to, you know that."

With his declaration, Loki closed his eyes in an attempt to end the conversation.

Loki was trying to change the subject, and slowly it dawned on Thor that this was the second time today that had happened. Except this time, Loki could not deflect Thor's curiosity by mentioning Sif. He would not attempt to ask any more questions; Thor was done with that for the day.

None of the servants were brave enough to clean with a wrathful Loki holed up in the room, so the mess from the night before was left intact. Thor decided to take a good look around. Maybe he could dredge up something from memory, or at least guess what happened.

While pretending to look for something, Thor took in the various detritus left about. He could not help thinking repeatedly that this type of thing was more Loki's strength than his. In the end, Thor came away with the same impression of chaos that he started with.

However, there were little things. He did have some type of vague recollection of smashing the goblet, though that may simply be a memory from a different, similar evening. He remembered Loki laughing, and a general feeling of something akin to camaraderie, a sense of connectedness and contentment. It was fairly obvious there had been an raging fire in the hearth, which probably (hopefully) explained the general lack of clothing in the morning.

Thor sighed and looked at Loki as he was now. Though his eyes were closed, it was obvious he was only pretending to sleep from the very steady grip he kept on the helmet. Once more a chilliness had crept back into their relationship. Thor had always assumed it was because they had grown older and were no longer children—that adult brothers were perhaps more distant. Though now he began to suspect it was something else. Loki was indeed a puzzling man, though Thor felt no need to change him. Thor was happy to love his brother simply for himself, all strangeness aside. After all, Loki was his brother, and that took precedence over all other considerations.

Thor was not particularly practiced at analyzing thoughts and feelings, and he quickly grew tired of trying to puzzle it out. Everything about it was too foggy and blurred, like his memories from the night before. Maybe the future would yield some more concrete information, until then Thor was content to let it wait. Sif would eventually forgive him, she always did, and in all likelihood he would only discover what Loki felt when his brother wanted him to know.

The long night and the active morning finally caught up with him. Loki was right, he had been doing too much thinking and now he needed a nap. He flopped face down on the vacant side of the bed, ready to drop off immediately and ignore the squawk that issued from his brother.

"Thor, what are you doing?"

The blonde did not bother to look, he could tell his brother would have a sour expression from his tone of voice alone, "Napping. You should drink what is in the goblet; it will help you do the same."

Loki may have replied, but Thor was content to let the words drift away as he descended into a decidedly fantastic slumber.

When he woke up much later in the afternoon, Thor was disappointed to see Loki was gone. However, the goblet on the side table was empty.

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><p>AN: It's good to be done.

Even so, if I had time there's a lot I would go back and improve/change. I would make the other's stories conflict a little more, and try to make it a little less... vague. I'd also try to get more hints about what Loki was up to the night before, since that's the real questions, Sif was supposed to be more of a red herring...

In any case, I would love to hear and comments and especially constructive criticism! Even if you don't want to rip my story apart, saying which parts were your favorite help a ton!

I may write a "what actually happened" fic, if people are interested. Maybe with several different possibility ;) It would be fun. I have a few other projects to work on, so it might be a while before I can get to it!

**Edit:**

**So, I've quit being a tease! And I should have the first chapter of the "what actually happened" fic up within a day. It's called "**A Memory all too Keen**."**

**I may also go back and clean up some of the chapters in this fic for my own satisfaction, but there will be no major changes so don't feel like you have to reread it :)  
><strong>


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